Powdered Milk and Plymouth UCC

I realized that the youth from my church, Plymouth UCC in Syr have already finished their mission trip this summer. The mission trips I went on were definitely a huge inspiration for my desire to give back & join the PC. Today I was reminiscing about our NYC trip at a soup kitchen. The manager asked us to make the powdered milk. Powdered what? How? I never knew it existed until that day. So here in Africa whenever I use powdered milk I think of Plymouth. Life without a fridge brings back fond memories.

Gogo = Grandma

I just talked to my mom! She sounds great and given the circumstances I think she is more worried about me than her life minus 5 fingers. She asked about Gogo. Her bio: Age: OLD! I showed her a picture of my Grandma and lied to her and told her she looks younger than my Grandma. She has a hunch in her back, and walks/shuffles around with help from a walking stick Job: She worked in SAfrica at in white family's kitchen. You can find her laying on her grass mat almost all day in random places around.

My new home: an oasis in the desert!

Last week, after swear-in, I moved from the 3rd largest city in the country (which is probably smaller than Buff State's campus). I lived there in community on the outskirts with a huge family and a fantastic they of the sunrise over the valley every morning right outside my door. Now, I live in the middle of nowhere, really. But, still beautiful! I live with a Make, Gogo & an old man who rents the house next to mine. It is an orchard with tropical fruit imaginable! It also has a hammer mill for maize.

'Being' is just as important as doing.

Life at my new site was pretty hard the first couple days. Doing nothing is harder than you think. With not knowing anyone, I cant just pop by someones house and sit for a while. I am in the process now of getting out there so people know I am here and will be here for 2 years. Everyday it feels like I do nothing, but in retrospect I have walked some miles, played with the neighbor kids, hung out by the sitolo, and today even though it has rained all day I spent alot of quality time with Make and Gogo.

I never knew a place could be so quiet, except for roosters and ducks!

Lots to say, but not alot going on. Tuesday I became an official Peace Corps Volunteer! woohoo! I met the US Ambassador and the Swazi Prime Minister(he told me he has been to Syr. small world). The next day we moved to our permanent site. I am in Lubumbo, the hot region so my sweaters went from the top of my bag to the bottom. My room is only 10x20 unfurnished. I bought a bed, but the store only had doubles. It takes up alot of space but its ok cause I will be comfortable! Need to get a table and drawers

No, that wasn't a dream. Bad news.

I woke up the other night at 3a to answer my phone. My sister called to tell me that my mom had been in a car accident. Her hand was injured pretty bad, but otherwise hs doing ok given the circumstances. It was basically my worst fear for something like this to happen and I am so far away, not that I could do much there anyways. Thanks to my family for being there for her and keeping me updated and also thanks to my fellow trainees for their support.

Mefloquin Monday

August 1, 2011

One week left until I swear in as an official Volunteer!  I feel like the time has gone so fast and so slow all at the same time.  Time is funny that way.  And to be honest, my perception of time here is so askew.  I am so used to living my life based on the number on the clock and it is still how I am living, but relying so heavily on a watch doesn’t mesh so well with how people must live their lives here.  In a country like Swaziland with such limited electricity (or for those with electricity: no late night tv or 24hr news coverage.lol) the sun is the only watch that matters.  Sundown is a strict curfew here, and even if it wasn’t, there is nothing to do after dark anyways.  So my African life consists of me waking up way too early, going to sleep pathetically early, and counting how many weeks I have been here based on the number of once-a-week Mefloqin malaria pills I have swallowed.   Even though the days seem to go on forever, especially the days we have language class for 5 straight hours, I cannot believe that I took my 8^th pill yesterday.  Have I really been here for two whole months.. WOW!!